Animals Unite !

Ocelot

photo courtesy of Corel Graphics (2000)

The ocelot (scientific name is Felis pardalis) is small compared to the Florida panther or even the leopard. Ocelots are also known as painted leopards and even tigrillos. They are still hunted for their fur, so that makes it so important that we try to save them so that this hunting does not drive them to extinction.

Description:

The ocelot has a yellowy fur with many dark dark brown spots and stripes. The design on the fur is great camouflage so it blends in its environment. It can have a length of up to four feet, but mostly are only about twice the size of a large housecat. Its weight is usually between 25 to 35 pounds. Its tail is ringed, like a raccoons.

[ top ]

Habitat:

The ocelot is endangered and has been on the Endangered Species list since 1972. The main habitats are the forests and grassy planes of South and Central America. This habitat of thick brush has been declining over the years. They had once lived in large areas of Texas, but now only in small patches of protected areas in South Texas. They usually live in an area that is between 1 to 4 square miles. This cat is an excellent climber and will spend much of its time up in trees. The ocelot also is a great swimmer, but prefers to hunt on the ground. It has excellent hearing and vision and can chase its prey and capture it quickly and easily. It is usually nocturnal and its favorite foods are small mammals and it also will eat lizards, snakes, and even birds. Ocelots will sometimes hunt in pairs and will meow to each other during the hunt.

[ top ]

Danger:

One reason ocelots are endangered is because they are hunted for their fur. Hunting of them is still allowed in some parts of Latin America, even though they have been on the endangered and protected list in Peru and Columbia since 1973. Another reason for their endangered state is the loss of habitat. It is forbidden for ocelots to be imported into the United States without permits. There are zoos in the USA who do have them, but they have permits to.
One problem in Texas is that their current suitable habitat areas are spaced apart and so the ocelots who migrate are sometimes hit by cars on highways while migrating. There is a program to help that below.

[ top ]

Programs:

The San Antonio Zoo is participating in a cooperative program
with several Texas zoos to breed ocelots. Then they will be later reintroduced in the wild.
There is a program by The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Texas which is working to find or create new suitable habitats for these beautiful cats. This program will make it less likely that ocelots will have to cross highways to get from one place to another.

[ top ]

Resources:

Books:
* Amazing Animals by the Editors of Time-Life Books
Time-Life Books, copyright 1990
* The Fight For Survival- Animals in Their Natural Habitats
by Peter Brazaitis and Myrna Watanabe,
Michael Friedman Publishing Group, copyright 1994
* Tiger Tales and Big Cat Stories by Deborah Chancellor
DK Publishing, copyright 2000
* Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species by Alexander Wright, Charlesbridge Publishing, copyright 1992
Websites:
* Mammals of Texas Homepage - http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/felipard.htm
* Big Cats Online: Ocelot -
http://ds.dial.pipex.com/agarman/ocelot.htm
* Oakland Zoo Ocelot page:
http://www.oaklandzoo.org/atoz/azocelot.html
* International Society for Endangered Cats:
http://www.canuck.com/iseccan/index.html
Graphics:
* Logo at top: Some of the animals (mountain lion, manatee, and grizzly bear came from Corel Web Graphics (1996) and Corel Draw Version 9 (2000). The leopard is from IUCN-World Conservation Union Website, ghost bat is copyright(c) Perth Zoo, Western Australia, ocelot is courtesy of Tom Smylie of United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Service, bald eagle courtesy of Pomegranate Calendars, "Spirit of America", Shaefer & Hill
* Side bar logo is from Power Point 2000.

[ top ]

Animation:

	View the animation as RealPlayer streaming movie
	Open the animation as RealPlayer movie (offline)
	Get Real Player free here:

[ top ]